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David Chokachi, who plays Jake McCarty in TNT's upcoming Witchblade television series, told The Continuum his character will be more complex in the series than in the pilot movie.

"In the pilot, he was pretty green, trying to figure it out," Chokachi said during The Continuum's visit to the Witchblade set in Toronto last week. "But they took a giant step away from that, which I requested. I'm still the rookie, but in this series, I have a lot more to offer to everyone, and detective-wise to Sara. I just bring a lot more to the dance basically."

Eleven episodes of Witchblade - which stars Yancy Butler as Sara Pezzini, the Top Cow character -- are being produced. The story arc of Jake, who becomes Sara's partner after Danny Woo is murdered, is one of several threading throughout the season.

"They have this 'B' story that our captain is kind of involved with this group of vigilante cops," Chokachi said. "And he hates Yancy's character. And he knows I'm her partner and his only access to her. So he's trying to recruit me into his little group to try and get rid of her, and it all goes into all different directions. And no one knows what my real purpose is and why I'm here.

"It's starting to look like I could be here for more alternative reasons than just being a detective. So it's pretty bad ass. It's killer, the direction it goes in."

The inside of Chokachi's right forearm was all purple and bruised, the result of a recently filmed fight scene with Nottingham, who is played by Eric Etebari.

"It's in this soccer stadium. I started by exercising by myself in the center of the field and then running up the stairs," Chokachi said. "So we wind up starting the fight at the top of the stadium and it winds up in the center of the field.

"I'm throwing a punch at his head and he keeps blocking it. Between rehearsals and the actually shooting, we did it probably 40 or 50 times. Towards the end of it I was like, 'Damn, that's sore.' The stunt coordinator told me to put a pad on and I heard him but I didn't hear him. And by the time I put the pad on, the damage was done. But the fight looks good."

Chokachi hadn't read the Witchblade comic until he started auditioning for the role.

"I went out and bought about 30 of them," he said. "I think they're amazing. One of the artists in particular, they had a collector's edition, and everybody's face looks so angular and really cool, stylized.

"And they're so fun to read. They're good for us. I look a lot like my guy and everybody looks a lot like their characters, which is amazing casting. It's cool to read and research them and pick little things out that you can add to the series that people who are devoted to the comic will say, 'Damn, he's doing what Jake's doing in the comic.' And I think they'll appreciate that."

TNT will rebroadcast the Witchblade pilot movie on Tuesday, June 5, with the series starting on Tuesday, June 12.